


Small Moments

by A_Writing_Pen



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-25
Updated: 2015-08-25
Packaged: 2018-04-17 03:00:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4649700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Writing_Pen/pseuds/A_Writing_Pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Did Kenshin never really know his birthday?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small Moments

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for Ruroken week 2015. Thank you for reading and critiques and feedback would be appreciated. 
> 
> Prompt: Life/Death/Kenshin’s Birthday/ Kaoru’s Birthday

“Did you really not know how old you were when we met?” Kaoru asked.

  
She and Kenshin had started cooking together after Enishi’s revenge. The habit started out as a quiet necessity. Frankly, Kaoru wanted to make a meal without burning every edible thing she touched, and with everyone gone besides Yahiko, Kenshin, and herself, it was something to make her home feel less empty. And when they cooked they had time to talk.

  
“More or less.” Kenshin said.

  
“But you know how old you are now and when you were recruited.”

  
“Yes.”

  
For lunch they made onigiri, something Kaoru made for herself many times over before the wanderer ever entered Tokyo. The problem was each rendition was vastly different, either to large or small, misshapen to the point where the filling spilled out, or unsalted and stiff.

  
The rice had already been cooked and was sitting in a large bowl. They had already scooped out a portion into a smaller bowl to let the rice cool before they started shaping it. Kenshin wet his hands with the water bowl sitting between them, then sprinkled a pinch of salt in his hands before scooping the rice in the small bowl and patting it into a triangle. Kaoru did the same and tried to match Kenshin’s quick movements without compacting the rice into a hard mass. Hers was starting to look like a triangle so she was on the right track at least.

  
“This one knows his age, though this one’s birthday is a rough estimation.”

  
“But I thought it was in June?”

  
Kenshin dried his hands off with a towel before starting on the next stage of prep for the meal.

  
“This one only knows the season. The date is when this one was taken in by Hiko.”

  
“Oh. Does that ever…bother you?” her voice softened, hesitant to finish the question.

  
“Not really.” he said.

  
He pressed his thumb into the middle of the rice and placed the umeboshi inside then covered it with rice. He finished the onigiri by wrapping it in nori and placed it down on the counter where the rest would be placed. Kenshin nearly finished a second one by the time Kaoru placed her slightly larger rice ball next to his first one. Despite the size difference, they were nearly identical. And it wasn’t even missing the salt this time.

  
“But wouldn’t you like to be certain of the day you were born?”

  
“Not really,” he said, wrapping nori around the second onigiri, “not when this one can celebrate yours.”

  
Kaoru nearly crushed the rice she was forming in her hands in surprise and her cheeks began to burn as she blushed. Even though she tried to make her voice sound stern, she couldn’t shake the smile on her face.

  
“Get back to teaching me how to cook.” She said, starting on the next one.

 


End file.
